This invention relates to a container of the kind used for supplying water and/or nutrients directly into the soil adjacent a plant over an extended period of time, such as, for example several days.
This invention relates particularly to a container of this kind which is constructed to be positioned near a plant and then to automatically transmit fluid directly downwardly from the bottle into the soil (by means of a wick having one end immersed in the fluid within the bottle and having the other end engaged with the soil for capillary transfer of fluid from the wick into the soil) without requiring further attention from an attendant.
The problem of supplying adequate fluid to a plant, particularly to a potted plant over an extended period of time, (such as, for example, several days) and in a way which does not require the personal attention of an attendant, is a problem which has been recognized for a long time. It is a problem for which various structures and techniques have been developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,780 issued to Edward C. Bruno on Aug. 2, 1977 provides one example of structures and methods which have been used. This patent shows a spherical flask 10 having an elongated neck 20 closed with a cap 35. One or more openings 45 are formed in the elongated neck 20 so that, when the neck 20 and cap 35 are pushed down into the soil around the roots of a potted plant, water can seep out of the openings 45 below the surface 25 of the soil. One of the apparent disadvantages of the container structure shown in this patent is the need to insert a rather large cap and neck structure fairly deeply into the soil in a way which could press against and which could possibly injure the root structure of the plant.
There are many other structures and techniques which address the problem, and the other structures and techniques have certain advantages and certain disadvantages, depending on the structure and depending upon the intended applications.
It is a primary object of the present invention to construct a plant nursery bottle which is simple in construction and easy to use and yet highly effective to maintain sufficient moisture in the soil to keep the plant in a well cared for condition.
It is a related object to construct a plant nursery bottle which is direct in its installation and mode of operation and which also permits direct and simple adjustment of the automatic rate of transfer of fluid from the container into the soil.